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29/10/2011

Turkey & Chicken Pumpkin Chilli

With the Hallow e'en season in full swing, cooking with pumpkin becomes very popular.

Time for a warming autumn dish to celebrate the depth and sweetness of pumpkin ...

Roast off some pumpkin pieces to deepen the flavour and add colour in the oven at 180C for half an hour, or so with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and a little sea salt.

Once soft, blend into a purée with a hand blender or food processor. Set aside.

Brown off some chunks of chicken and turkey breast in a lidded sauté pan.

Add in some chopped onion then a little whisky and get the lid on - adding spirits to the dish is pure Hallow e'en! The steam will soften the onions nicely and the slightly sweet smoky flavour the whisky will impart into the meat.

Pour in a can of peeled plum tomatoes and mash down to a pulp. Pour the pumpkin purée in and stir until well combined.

Now we add in the warmth and heat ...

Slice a Scotch Bonnet pepper, a clove or two of garlic and toss in. Sprinkle over some ground coriander and a little ground cinnamon. Chop some fresh coriander and add to the pan.

For a more crisp alternative, chop some bell peppers - green, red and yellow.

Simmer for a couple of hours, adding water where necessary. The dish is ready when it is well cooked and the liquid fully reduced.

Serve out into bowls with a few fresh coriander leaves. I accompanied with a few chipped potatoes fried in dripping and a small bowl of yoghurt.